There\u2019s nobody in golf\u2014and maybe even in sports\u2014who can keep fans on the edge of their seats like Rory McIlroy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Starting the final round of the Irish Open four back of the lead, McIlroy slowly began to work his way up the leaderboard and went to the closing par-5 18th needing an eagle to force a playoff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course, mayhem ensued.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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In front of a raucous crowd at the K Club, the 36-year-old Northern Irishman holed a 25-footer to send the tournament to extra holes. And after three more trips up and down the 18th hole against Sweden\u2019s Joakim Lagergren, who is ranked No. 194 in the world, McIlroy made a birdie to emerge victorious for the first time since the Masters.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cI feel so lucky I get to do this, in front of these people,\u201d McIlroy said afterward on the 18th green. \u00a0\u201cThe support has been amazing all week. I thought it was a nice homecoming. This has been incredible; it has exceeded all my expectations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love coming home, I love playing in this atmosphere.”<\/p>\n
\nThe putt. The result. The noise. The celebration. <\/p>\n
Rory McIlroy\u2019s eagle putt at the 72nd hole will go down in history \ud83e\udd29#AmgenIrishOpen<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/yf8bzNmNUW<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 7, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
And the putt to force the playoff was the height of the bedlam.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s right up there,\u201d McIlroy said when asked where that moment ranks in his career. \u201cJust that scene on 18, hitting your second shot into the green, and you\u2019ve got the grandstand and all the crowd on the right, but then half of the first fairway is full as well. It\u2019s just absolutely incredible seeing it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou always want to have the putt on the last green to win or do something big, and that was definitely one of them. I\u2019ll remember that for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the first playoff hole, both made birdie, sending McIlroy and Lagergren back to the tee box. They each found the fairway again, but McIlroy chunked his approach to 53 feet, while Lagergren\u2019s was about 20 feet from the cup. Both ran their eagle attempts a few feet past the hole and made birdie.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Third time would be a charm, right?\u00a0<\/p>\n
For McIlroy, indeed. Lagergren found the fairway as McIlroy pushed his drive into the rough. Still, both were about 200 yards from the hole, but Lagergren pulled his approach left into the water adjacent to the green. That took the pressure off McIlroy, who safely hit his approach to the wide part of the green and lagged a long eagle putt to a few inches from the cup. After Lagergren failed to hole his chip shot from off the green, McIlroy’s victory was secure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the hours leading up to the playoff, McIlroy had a series of breaks that eventually put him in the winner\u2019s circle. He holed a 10-footer for birdie on No. 9, then a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 13 that did a 360 around the cup before dropping. He also sliced tee shot on the par-5 16th that barely stayed dry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As for Lagergren, the 33-year-old was looking for his first DP World Tour win since the 2018 Rocco Forte Sicilian Open. Impressively, he eagled No. 16 in regulation and birdied the last. However, it wasn’t meant to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a tough one to swallow,\u201d he said. \u201cI really thought I had that out there today. Obviously, posting minus 17 going into the clubhouse, could might as well been enough. Played really good in the playoff as well. Hit a solid 5-iron down on the last play, but it got a horrendous bounce. It\u2019s a metre from being dead to the hole. So it\u2019s tough.\u201d<\/p>\n
McIlroy, after completing the career Grand Slam earlier this year, admitted he was searching for motivation<\/a> again. He didn\u2019t need that this week in Ireland, though. He wanted to give the home fans what they yearned to see.<\/p>\n
And after the five-time major champion buried the final putt, fans broke out an\u00a0 \u201cole, ole, ole\u201d chant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
McIlroy hopes it\u2019s not the last time this year he hears a similar celebration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, we get a bit in a few weeks time at the Ryder Cup,\u201d McIlroy said. \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely incredible. Moments like this, these are things you\u2019re going to remember after your career is over. This is a very special day.\u201d<\/p>\n